Jim and Cath are landlords to Lara and Nick. Emma, Jim and Cath’s daughter, has been missing from home for some time, after a tragic incident blew up her life. Cath tries to fill the void left by focusing on her tenants more than she should, whilst Jim finds solace elsewhere.

This is a story that deals with, and handles well, some sensitive issues. The plot is engaging and as the story unfolds it becomes evermore absorbing. The book was slightly overlong in my opinion, but nevertheless a very enjoyable read and I would definitely recommend.

Thank you NetGalley.

The Shadow Child unravels slowly, leaving you eager to learn more with each turn of the page.
The main characters - Cath and Jim have lost their daughter Emma - she is missing and the couple is desperate to find her. Emma was once a twin but Rose was born with problems with her brain and dies at five years old.

The story also features Lara and Nick. The young couple rent a house from Cath and Nick but Cath can't seem to step away from them, she ingratiates herself into their lives - which brings its own issues.

The story moves at a leisurely pace, each character has its own secrets, Emma with an incident that causes her to run away from home. Lara with her family and Cath with her past.

A really good novel.

Deep characterisation and psychology of all the characters sucks us into their worlds with empathy and a sense of caring for each of the characters which is quite a feat.. Plausible, could happen to any of us. Lots of unexpected twists. A great read - riveting from cover to cover and explores many topics that warrant a book club style debate ranging from whether parents can stop what at first sight seems like an "insignificant" event in their child's early life from dominating their character formation, to whether or not a famous name shapes someone's character and what white lies are ok if any in a relationship. I will be suggesting this book at my book club.

I really enjoyed this book, it was well paced with a good storyline and well developed characters. I was gripped right from the start and I couldnt put it down I had to know what the secret was and how it played out. There were sensitive issues in the book that were dealt with very well. I really enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading more by this author.